Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst ! Enter a Porter. Knocking within. [Exeunt. Porter. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key.-[Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for❜t.—[Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in the other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: 0, come in, equivocator.-[Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose.—[Knocking within.] Knock, knock; never at quiet! What are you?-But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire.-[Knocking within.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX. Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late? Port. Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Macd. What three things does drink especially provoke? Port. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him. Macd. I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. Port. That it did, sir, i' the very throat on me: but I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Macd. Is thy master stirring?— Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes. Len. Good morrow, noble sir. Macb. Re-enter MACBeth. Good morrow, both. Not yet. Macd. Is the king stirring, worthy thane? Macb. Macd. He did command me to call timely on him: I've almost slipp'd the hour. Macb. I'll bring you to him. But yet 'tis one. Macb. The labour we delight in physics pain. This is the door. For 'tis my limited service. Len. Goes the king hence to-day? Macb. [Exit. He does: he did appoint so. Len. The night has been unruly: where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, Lamentings heard i' th' air; strange screams of death; And prophesying, with accents terrible, Of dire combustion and confus'd events New hatch'd to the woful time: the obscure bird(45) Macb. 'Twas a rough night. Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel A fellow to it. Re-enter MACDuff. Macd. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee! Macb. Len. What's the matter? Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence Macb. What is't you say? the life? Len. Mean you his majesty? Macd. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight With a new Gorgon :-do not bid me speak; See, and then speak yourselves. [Exeunt Macb. and Len. Ring the alarum-bell:-murder and treason!- [Alarum-bell rings. Re-enter MACBETH and LENNOX.(48) Macb. Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had liv'd a blessèd time; for, from this instant, There's nothing serious in mortality: grace All is but toys: renown and is dead; Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. Don. What is amiss? Macb. You are, and do not know't: Mal. blood O, by whom? Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done 't: So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found They star'd, and were distracted; no man's life Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them. Macd. Wherefore did you so? Macb. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man: The expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan, Courage to make's love known? Macd. Look to the lady. Mal. [aside to Don.] Help me hence, ho! Why do we hold our tongues, That most may claim this argument for ours? Don. [aside to Mal.] What should be spoken here, where our fate, Hid in an auger-hole, may rush, and seize us? Let's away; Our tears are not yet brew'd. Mal. [aside to Don.] Upon the foot of motion. Nor our strong sorrow Ban. Look to the lady: [Lady Macbeth is carried out. And when we have our naked frailties hid, That suffer in exposure, let us meet, And question this most bloody piece of work, To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us: Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i' th' hall together. All. Well contented. [Exeunt all except Malcolm and Donalbain. Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with them: To show an unfelt sorrow is an office Which the false man does easy. I'll to England. Don. To Ireland I; our separated fortune Shall keep us both the safer: where we are, Mal. This murderous shaft that's shot [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. Without MACBETH's castle. Enter Ross and an Old Man. Old M. Threescore and ten I can remember well: Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night Ah, good father, |